Should community water be fluoridated?

This is a controversial question. Tooth decay is a public health problem affecting many adults and children. But the need for community water to be fluoridated is debated.^[1] There is evidence from observational research including 44,268 participants that fluoridation reduces levels of tooth decay and caries in children, compared to no fluoridation, by up to 35%. Fluoridation is linked with 15% more children with no decay in baby teeth and 14% more children with no decay in permanent teeth. However, most of this research is from before widespread use of fluoride toothpaste.^[2] There is not enough evidence to know what would occur if fluoridation were removed in the present day.